Air-compressor.



W. W. SWETLAND.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

m: Nana's runs ca. ruoru Llnlll. WASHING raw. n cy WARRINGTON W. SWETLAN'D, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AIR-COMPRESSOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVARRINGTON W. SWETLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California,have invented a new and useful AinCompressor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to air compressors and resides in the provision of a simple and inexpensive'device of this character which will compress air in a reliable, effective. and expeditious manner.

Another object is to provide a device of this character in which novelmeans is pro- Vided for operating a piston within a compressing cylinder, said means adapted to be operated from a motor or other source of power and serves to effectively reciprocate the piston in the compressing cylinder, so that air will be readily and easily compressed.

Another object is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of air compressors so as to render them more practical, reliable, effective and eflicient in operation and less expensive to manufacture and operate. 1 f 1 The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations, and arrangement of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved air compressor; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is atop plan view of the compressing mechanism; and Fig. i is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the compressing cylinder and cooperating parts.

Referring to the drawings, A designates an air storage tank connected by means of the pipe'B with the lower end of an upright air compressing cylinder 0, and D designates a frame upon which is mounted means for actuating the compressor" C;

The frame D comprises a plurality vertical standards 1 connected by suitable bars 2. A horizontal shaft 3 is journaled in ibearings t mounted on the top of the'frame D, and fixed on the shaft is a large fly wheel 5.. A pulley 6 is also fixed to the shaft and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

Application filed July 19, 1915. Serial No. 0,541.

provides meansfor operating the shaft from a source of power not shown.

Mounted between the standards 1 of the frame D upon the shaft 3 is a disk 7 which carries a plurality of radially extending weight-carrying arms 8. Secured to the free ends of the arms 8 are chains or other suitable fiexible elements 9, to the free ends of which are secured weights 10. These chains 9 are of substantially the same length as are the arms 8.

The compressing cylinder C is located in front of the frame D and has reciprocally mounted therein a piston 11 carrying a head 12 which is adapted to be struck by the weights 10. Arranged in pairs on the opposite sides of the cylinder 'C are vertical guide bars 13 held together by suitable horizontal connecting bars 14: and which terminate at a point near the upper end of the frame D. These bars 13' are of angle iron and form guides for the weights 10. The upper ends of the innermost pair of bars 13 are bent over and down as at 15 and register with a pair of upwardly and rearwardly extending guide bars 16, the rear ends of which are curved downwardly and secured to the bars 2 of the frame D in any suitable manner. A pair of angle iron guide bars 17 is secured to the frame D and extend from a point in line with and rearwardly of the rear ends of the bars 16, downwardly and forwardly to a point sli htly above the upper end of the cylinder rearwardly of the cylinder.

Suitable supporting or brace bars 18 are connected with the frame D and intermediate portions of the bars 17. The weights 10 are substantially rectangular and as the bars 16 and 17 are of angle iron and slightly spaced from one another, the weights will slide easily upon said bars 16 and 17 and be retained upon the bars by the flanges of the angle iron. Below the frame D is a bell crank 20having its vertical arm 21 formed oonisderably longer than the other arm and extended upwardly between the bars 17 near the lower ends thereof. The horizontal arm of the bell crank 20 is pivoted as at 22 to the lower end of a valvel stem 23. The valve stem 23 is vertically slidable through a conical valve seat 24 formed in the bottom wall of the cylinder C and on its upper endearries a conical valve 25. A retractile spring 26 is secured to the vertical arm of the bell crank 20 and to the frame D.

In operation the shaft 3 is turned counterclockwise by any suitable source of power and causes the arms 8 to rotate and the weights 10 which are placed on the" bars 16 and 17 to slide upon said bars. The weights are pulled upwardly on the bars 17 and from thence slide onto the bars 16 and down the weight which has struck the piston head 12 is pulled from between the-guides -13upon the bars 17. The weight when moved upwardly upon the bars 17 engages the arm 21 and moves it rearwardly causing the stem 23 to be ,moved upwardly and the valve .25 to open and engage the piston 11 and force it into up position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The piston is held in up position by frictionaided by-air admitted when the valve is opened. The spring 26 returns the arm 21 to normal position for cooperation withthe next weightand causes the valve to close. The weight is .then carried upwardly so as to move into position to fall and strike the vpiston'again. In practice preferably four arms 8 are used and it will be seen that the weights are caused to rapidly strike the piston and that each down stroke of the piston causes a large amount of air to be compressed.

The impact force of the weights striking the piston in the compressor causes the piston to move very quickly in its compressing stroke and to force a large amount of .air into the tank. The rapid stroke'of the pie ton prevents escape of air which might take place with a slower stroke and it is one of the most essential features of'this invention to provide means which will cause the pieton to have a quick compressing stroke.

The bent over upper ends of the bars 13 form abutment-s for the weights and pre vent said weights from sliding directly off the bars 17 upon the guides 13.

With reference to the v foregoing description and accompanying drawings, it will be observed that I have provided an air. compressor which will operate effectively and quickly and which can be operated'by hand if so desired.

In practice Iha-ve found that the form of my invention illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment is the most efli cient and practical, yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of into up position after it my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that varlous minor changes in construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted'to' when required without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I'claim: 1. An air compressor comprising a compressing cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted in :thecylinder, means to intermittently strike said piston and move it downwardly in the cylinder, said cylinder having an air intake and an airoutlettherein, and means actuated by the last named-means .to move the piston to up positionafter it has beenstruck.

2. An air compressor comprising a com pressing cylinder, a piston :in said cylinder, a rotary weight carrying member, weights carried by said member, means toguide said weights .during the rotation of -.-the weight carryingmember tocause the weights to intermittently strike the piston and move it downwardly in the cylinder, and means actuated by the weights to move the. piston into up position after it is struck bygeac'h weight. I r

3. An air compressor comprising an np-' right compressing .cylinderhaving an air 1nlet, a {storage .tank connected with the'cyl-inder, a'pistonin said cylinder, a supporting frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame, weight-carrying arms secured to the shaft, flexible members secured to the free ends of the arms, weights carried by saiclflexible members and adapted to intermittently. engage the piston and force it downwardly -in the cylinder, and guidemeans carried by the frame to guide said weights -into position'to engage the piston.

air-compressor comprising an upright compressing cylinder having an air inlet, a storage tank connected with the-cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a supporting frame, frame, a plurality of radially extending weight-carrying arms secured to the shaft, flexible members secured to the free ends'of the arms, weights carried by said flexible members and adapted to intermittently engage the piston and force it downwardly in the cylinder, guide means carried by the frame to guide said weights into 'position to engage the piston, and means aca plurality of radially extending a shaft rotatably mounted in the tuated by said weights to move the piston has been engaged by each weight.

5. An air compressorcomprising an upright cylinder, having a valve seat in the lower end thereof, a tank connected with the cylinder, a piston reciprocally mounted in the cylinder, a support, a :bell crank ipivoted .onztthesupport, a valve 1110111 1 861 in the cylinder and having a stem extending through the seat and pivoted to the bell crank, a rotary weightcarrying member mounted on the support, weights carried by said member and adapted to intermittently engage the piston and move it downwardly in the cylinder, said bell crank having one end in the path of said Weights, and adapted to be moved when engaged by the weights to force the stem upwardly in the cylinder,

said valve adapted to engage and push the piston into up position when the stem is pushed up in the cylinder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 1 1 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

